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"We are not leaving this town until we find some nipple shields!"

This will make it into my top ten list of things I thought I would never hear my husband say. If you don't know what nipple shields are - don't ask. I just thought I would give you an update on how we are doing. We are getting the hang of this a little at a time. Today I actually made dinner!!! One of the hardest things for me is not being able to serve my husband in the same way I used to. I know that eventually, as I get used to parenthood, I will be able to serve him like I used to.
Today we also went for our two week checkup and everything is just perfect. I got some tips of breastfeeding from our pediatrician. Elias has gained back all his birthweight and then some: 7 lbs. 14 oz. I still have to roll up the sleeves on much of his clothing but it won't be long until he fits into all of it. He was also circumcised today, which was just as traumatic for me as it was for him. But he's doing great. He's sleeping right now.

I'm proud of myself for making some time to blog. More later.

Having a baby changes everything...

Well, since my new blog is not up and running yet, I'll post my birth story here for now. We are head over heals in love with our Elias. On Saturday morning around 2:30am I started feeling contractions painful enough to keep me awake, so I went downstairs and did the dishes. Since I was awake I wanted to get them done in case we went to the hospital (this is something pregnant women do - there is no logic to it). My contractions were still about 10 minutes apart, so I tried to get back in bed with Paul. By about 5:30am they were so strong that I was gripping Paul's arm and breathing through them, so we decided to go in to the hospital. We got there and checked around 7 am and they monitored my contractions for about 10 minutes. I was about 5 cm dialated. The nurse said, "Let's have a baby!" and she made me fill out a lunch menu because she knew I would have Elias before lunch. By 9am when the doctor checked me I was dialated to 8 cm. The nurse guided us through a different labor positions, standing, side lying, rocking back and forth. My labor progressed more quickly than I thought it would, although since I had been dialated to three for almost four weeks my body was REALLy ready to have this baby. By about 10:30 I was in the transition stage and Paul was breathing through the contractions with me. Baby Elias was born at 11:17am. I can't remember when I started pushing but I don't think it was longer than twenty minutes.

My goal was an unmedicated birth and (by God's grace) it all went according to plan. I had also prayed for a good nurse. Our nurse was so wonderful. If any of you know Paul and his aversion to medical situations, you know that it is a miracle that he was able to be there, for the whole thing AND be able to coach me through it. Our nurse gave him a very important role in bringing Elias into the world and we know that it was a big answer to prayer. My mom was also there and coached me and breathed with me when Paul wasn't available. I think that took the pressure off Paul feeling like he HAD to be there for me. My mom has the real heart of a servant and is willing to step in whenever she is needed. She took two days off of work this week to come and be with Elias so that I could sleep, because parenthood really took a toll on me those first few days. Back to the labor: I have been reflecting on the labor and delivery and how painful but also amazing it was. Because it was unmedicated I REALLY felt EVERY part of the process and it IS a really amazing process. I totally understand the need for medication and I think if my labor had been longer I might have gone that route, because pain is so so so tiring, I don't think I would have had the energy to push at the end of it all.

When they layed Elias on my chest at first I couldn't believe how perfect he was. I also has a great sense of accomplishment. I remember thinking, "I can't believe I just did that!" He didn't have a huge cry, more like a lot of little grunting, which was cute. I remember thinking how long his feet were ( a Robinson thing).

Right now Elias is looking for his food and I need to change him, so I'll finish this later...

...Well, it's now the next day, so you can see that "the boss" took up the rest of my night. It's time for you to meet our new boss. Elias was seven pounds one ounce at birth and 21 inches long. When we went his first doctor's visit on Wednesday they told us he is the the 87% percentile for height and the 17% percentile for weight, so he is a long, skinny boy (just like his papa). At first we had a little trouble regulating his body temperature, because he is so skinny, but now that he has been eating so much it's gotten much better. He has been known to nurse for three hours straight. The up side to this is that he sleeps longer when he eats so much. He is a very happy, healthy boy. We took him out to coffee the other day and he was so good to sleep through the whole thing and let his mom and dad have a nice date. We haven't been out of the house much yet. I have ordered a sling online and am hoping that will make me more mobile. I hadn't wanted to spend the money on one before this but I am starting to see the benefits.

I started this post three days ago. Parenthood has been a big adjustment for me and I would appreciate your prayers as I acclamate to this new life. Everything is so new and takes so much thought, and my thinking skills aren't the best when I'm running on little sleep. Add to this the overwhelming emotions of new love for this little life and it's enough to put me over the edge sometimes. Every day I feel a bit more empowered that I can do this, of course I can. Eventually I will start answering my phone, returning my emails, and taking care of business. But right now we're just falling in love, and as much joy as that brings, it can bring tension as well. If you made it this far, we're glad you took the time to meet Elias.

Last night Paul and I met for Thai food in Olympia (The Lemongrass is wonderful by the way). He was on his way back from and interview in Bellvue and I was just getting finished with my doctor's appointment. Paul and I talked about the transitions in our lives, how we felt about them, and where we felt God was taking us. We are at a turning point. We are really seeking God's direction. The thought of being in a new place, with a new baby is a little terrifying, but also a little exciting to me. I am constantly checking out the motivation for my feelings. Am I being selfish or am I letting God use this little family for his purpose? I guess in the meantime, we are having to be OK with not knowing what is around the corner for us, which might be the hardest part. At the end of our meal, God blessed us with a little encouragement. Smile.

Easter Dinner

There are baby cows being born down the road from us. This one was born right before we walked there, because he was still all wet! Ahem- now if another little baby would hurry it up we'd be very happy!

We got it!!!! the DSL, I mean. So look for pictures tonight. In the meantime, I am now close to four cm and 90% effaced, the doctor said the baby is pretty comfy right where he is, but she thinks I should deliver sometime this weekend, all I need are a few good contractions to get things started. So I'm going to ask Paul to walk me tonight and see if that helps. One of my favorite doctors (there are five in the practice I go to) is on call this weekend so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I love this. Andee, who i've only actually met once, maybe, at Alysun's wedding is due with her second baby very soon.

Words I hate:

Yes, I know hate is a strong word, but aren't you allowed to be irked when you are pregnant? I'm normally a pretty optimistic person, really I am! Anyway, these are the words:

"The baby will come when he's ready." (imagine me saying this in a sing-songy, mocking voice)

OK-
1. I already know that.
2. It doesn't make me feel any better.
3. It really bothers me. It's like the culmination of all the really annoying things people have said to me throughout my whole pregnancy (which I am really good at ignoring by the way). If you've ever been pregnant, do you ever feel like people are more obsessed with you pregnancy than you are? Good grief people, let it go.

Thanks for letting me vent, blogosphere.

Coming soon: Pictures from Easter! My family (mostly my brother) made Middle Eastern food and it was delicious. Some of Paul's fam came up too and they brought us the cutest crib mobile that plays rainforest sounds (get it? they're from Costa Rica?) Also, the church was PACKED, which always makes me happy. Our church did an evangelistic play this year. I am waiting to post the pictures until we get our DSL, just cuz I wanna try it out. We should get it tomorrow.

Love and Blessings!

Baby Update:

I went to the doctor yesterday and I am STILL 3 cm dialated. The big change is that I am 75% effaced, and last week I was only 50% effaced. Don't ask me what effaced is, I only have a vague idea. How long could things go on like this? Well, as the doctor assured me, they won't go on like this FOREVER. I will have then baby someday. That's it, that's all I know.
My family is convinced that I will have the baby on Easter, thus ruining thier plans for a middle eastern Easter meal. Traditionally we try a new cuisine each Easter (we've done German, Greek, and others), and Paul's family usually joins my family (a special treat for us!).
Today is so beautiful. The weatherman promised 77 degrees! Paul "walked me" this morning (I don't go on my own anymore) which is part of our feeble attempts to get this kid in gear. I am about to make a picnic lunch for Paul and I. I don't know where we will take it yet, maybe up to the Oly Farmer's Market, which just opened up.
In other news, after a long battle with qwest in which they insisted that there was no DSL in our area, even though ALL our neighbors have it, we are finally getting DSL. Do you know how excited I am? The only thing that kept me sane this long was the fact that I had fast internet at school, but with my maternity leave I won't have that. Imagine the possibilities! I have so many things I want to put on ebay, but haven't because it takes soooo long.
Enjoy this day!

Spring is Here!!! Here are some pictures from this past week

Have I told you how much I love this guy? He helps me quite a bit, although he is more than ready for "the old Bella" meaning the pre-pregnancy me that had more energy. He puts my socks and shoes on for me nowadays.




Will I always be able to make my nephew laugh like this? I don't know, but apparently the bouncing game is hilarious!








As you can see, I'm more than ready for Elias to join us (looks like I'm more than ready for a tan too!)
















Some flowers at Mom and Dad's house.

April Fools: The first thing my brother does when he shows up at my parents house is to look in the fridge for something to eat. My mom put a stuffed grouse in the fridge with a note that said, "Please cook this for dinner. - Mom"

My family has been really good about keeping me occupied these past few spring break days. Yesterday I went out to lunch with my mom and today I accompanied Anna to her doctor's (she's due 6 weeks after me) appointment and then to Target to do some baby shopping. I am starting to nor put too much stock in this whole "dialated to 3cm" thing. It seems like I will never have this kid. Actually, I probably wouldn't have even been thinking about it unless the docs had told me it would be soon.

Tonight Paul and I are planning on dying Easter Eggs, and tomorrow (his day off) will spring clean our closets (can you tell that I'm nesting?). Right now I'm at school in a last ditch effort to leave things in proper order before the sub has to take over. Actually, things are pretty much wrapped up, but there are still a few things to do.

Hope you are all enjoying Spring, the Easter season, and all the new life that it brings!

Here are some pics of the preparations we've done for Elias. He gets a corner of our office (until we move that is). My sister in law Anna made the cute sign for us.

I am really looking forward to doing a little boy's room once we have a house of our own, although I may have to call on some of my friends with more creative juice than I have. The bassinet is an arms reach co-sleeper, which we chose because it is also portable.

Congratulations Jeana and Geary!! Head over to Linhart Live to see the newest additon! Just a bit of trivia - Jeana and I found out we were pregnant on the same day.

Update: At my doctor's appointment today they said I am still 3 cm dialated. So nothing new. It's spring break now, but I am also banned from traveling any more than an hour away from the hospital (we actually live 45 minutes away), so it will be a Spring Break spent at home pretty much.

I'm still here!!!

bags....packed
carseat.....installed
thank you cards.....done
childbirth class.....taken
classroom....prepared for sub
Baby Robinson.....coming soon

Every day I get a few more signs that labor is coming soon. I am definately in the pre-labor stage. I really don't know. It could be any minute or in two weeks, which is frustrating for a planner like me. I am making myself focus on spending every minute enjoying the fact that I am still childless. It will never be just me and Paul again. I will never have so much free time. I will never again get to enjoy this class of students like I do now. My house will not always be so quiet. Still, the anticipation of the birth is driving us crazy. I have another appointment on Friday morning and I am hoping to find out if I am dialated any more than I was last week. Yesterday we had a lady come to our house and give us a childbirth class (this is free, if you can believe it, through Parents As Teachers) and she taught us some breathing techniques that I actually liked better than the ones I learned at the hospital class. Paul was able to sit through this one with very few problems (he has an aversion to hospitals), the lady was very sensitive to his problem. But like Paul says, "We're probably going to forget all this stuff anyway." Check out Linhart Live often because Jeana is also close to being able to tell her birth story!

36 (and a half) week appointment

Doctor: "Well, you are 3 cm dialated and the baby's head is in perfect position."
Me: "So what does that mean?"
Doctor: "It means that the baby could come today or within the next three weeks but you probably aren't going to be pregnant for much longer."
Me: ....
Doctor: ....
Me: .... yeah .... I wasn't really ready for that....
Doctor: I hope you have the carseat in the car.

Up until now I had been banking on the fact that I wouldn't deliver until AFTER my due date. I mean, no one delivers before thier due date when it's thier first. I was two weeks late, Paul was two weeks late... Like Paul said today, "You know it's coming but secretly you think that it will never come."

The carseat situation was also complicated. You see, I had taken the carseat completely apart because it was used and I wanted to wash it, every part of it, absolutely every part of it. I had been procrastinating putting it back together because it took me about an hour to take apart and I didn't want to admit to my husband that I had no idea how to put it back together.

So the major accomplishment for tonight was installing the carseat. At least that's done. And he did put it back together for me. Next, I need to pack my bag for the hospital, if you can believe I haven't even done that yet.

I promise that someday I will quit talking about my pregnancy! I know how frustrating it can be to hear about all the time, but that's my life right now.

In other news, Paul's last day of school was today! Wahoo, he is officially a project manager. He also had an interview today, which went well. Tomorrow I will take him out to dinner to celebrate.

Busy, busy, busy...

Life is getting exciting, but hectic, around here. I would say that my sporadic blogging is a symptom of the business in our lives. I have three weeks of work left, and before I leave I need to do report cards, parent teacher conferences, and prepare for my long term sub. I'm starting on the report cards today, but there are just so many ways to procrastinate when you are at home.
I guess you could say that we are sort of ready for the baby to come. We have all the "stuff" it's just not organized in any way - stemming from the fact that we need a dresser to put all his little clothes in - and the fact that we are just running out of space. Someday when I get everything organized I will take a picture for my blog. I should be focusing more on organizing, since I have two baby showers next weekend and I will be coming home with a bunch more "stuff".
Also, Paul's last class is next week! We are thrilled that he is done, but now he needs to find a job, which is always a stressful process.
So, bear with me while I deal with this. Soon, our blog will be moving to wordpress. I have been working on the new blog but I'm not quite ready to "unveil" it yet. Speaking of blogs, I would like to throw a question out there into the void. What happens to our blogs? Do you ever wonder where your blog will be ten years from now? Are you ever frustrated that you don't have a "paper" copy of your blog? Do you fear that someday it will vanish into internetland and never be seen again? Is this a silly fear? I sometimes wish my blog was in book form so that I could save it on my shelf. I think there might be more than one volume. All this writing and memories would be a shame to waste.

Why I heart craigslist...

...because it's like a giant garage sale that never ends. Paul and I really wanted this carseat. It was two hundred dollars in the store and we got it on craigslist for 80$. Believe me, we have weighed the pros and cons of buying a used carseat so please don't email me a list of reasons we shouldn't have done it. It is a 2006 model that has been used for one child for 7 months. I'm sold! My only gripe is that I don't live close enough to a metropolitan area to use it more often. We just happened to be going down to Portland yesterday for Rebecca's birthday so I checked out craigslist before we went. I can't believe I didn't use it more when I lived there. I guess I never really needed anything. If you are an entrepreneur you can make quite a lot of money on craigslist (you readers of my blog know who you are). Unfortunately, I did not inherit that gene from my wheeling and dealing father.

Paul and I had a good weekend. I can't stay out as late as I used to and I have to rest. This is really a bummer for me. Probably the most bummerish thing about my whole pregnancy - not being able to keep up with my husband. I feel like such a drag!

Rebecca (Paul's little sis) is officially 21. Happy Birthday! We had a good time with the Robinson's and then on the way home stopped by my parents house and saw my little brother Dan.

Check out this video. It's a baby panda sneezing. I just have to keep playing it over and over!

update:

I recorded Elias's heartbeat when I went to the doctor today for my kindergarteners to listen to. I think it actually scared them a little.

"It sounds like he's dying!!!"

"It sounds like he's eating something in there!!!"

"It sounds like he's marching around!!!"

Baby Update: Six weeks left!

I cannot believe that Elias is almost here! It seems so close, yet so far away. Tomorrow I have my 34 week appointment. I am going to bring a tape recorder to record his little heartbeat so that I can share it with my kids at school. In two weeks I have back to back Baby Showers for two days in a row, so that will be tons of fun. There are a lot of changes coming for the Robinson family and sometimes I have little emotional breakdowns about that fact, but the truth is we are more excited than we ever thought we could be.

The World's Fastest Indian

I like to recommend movies. This one was recommended to me by Geary and Jeanna Linhart. What an inspiring story. My husband loved it. Check out Geary's review of it here. An old man lives his dream by breaking the speed limit in his antiquated motorcycle (sorry if I don't know the technicalities). It's based on a true story too. Can I just say again how much I love Netflix? Next I have coming the fourth season of Monk. AND - they just lowered the price for the "two movies a month" plan - only 4.99. Do I sound like a commercial? They should be paying me for this.

Friday Favorites: Dr. Seuss

Don't forget to have "lots of good fun that is funny" today! It's Dr. Seuss's birthday. We made Dr. Seuss hats today and in the afternoon we will go to the library and read for an hour with the rest of the school (there are less than 100 students in our school). Dr. Suess was a fascinating person. Many of his books are very political in nature. Did you know that Yurtle the Turtle is really about Hilter?

I put on a vest and a coat to go outside today because it was snowing outside.

Kindergartener: "I know what your baby is saying right now. He's saying, 'AAAAHHH, it's dark in here.'"

Right now...

....it's snowing

....my hubby is playing the guitar

....he just did all the dishes

Life is good.

ME: Paul, I think I am having Braxon-Hicks contractions.

HIM: WHAT!!!!! You can't have the baby now!! Go lay down! Why are you doing the laundry?

HIM: ...Let's call your mom.

ME: Calm down.

When I first heard of Braxton Hicks contractions I thought they were talking about Taylor Hicks from American Idol, so I can't really blame my husband for not knowing what they are.

Friday Favorites: LaLoo's Goat's Milk Ice Cream

I love this stuff. It's expensive (try over 5$ for a small pint), but after my doctor's appointment yesterday I stopped by my food co-op to get some. I can't have regular dairy, and as much as I love soy ice cream, there is just nothing like the taste and consistancy of real milk ice cream. I haven't bought it in over a year, so it's a really big treat for me. The good thing is that it is sooooo chocolaty that you can't eat very much at one time, so it lasts. My other favorite goat milk products are yogurt and cheese. They are expensive but I have been buying them more since being pregnant because I figure the baby needs the dairy (or at least that's what I'm telling myself). I do buy the goat milk and substitute it in recipes that call for milk, my husband can't tell the difference. As goat milk products become more popular I am hoping that they will come down in price.

Yesterday I had my 32 week (8 month) appointment and it looks as if the baby is HEAD DOWN!! Yea! I had my suspicions that he was in this position for a while, so hopefully he won't move in the next few weeks. The head down position means he is in the best position for birth. He still has a few weeks to move around before he becomes too big to flip around, so I am hoping he will stay that way.

Have a great weekend!

Heads up!
My friends Cheryl and Charlene have blogs! I added them to my links.

Our Weekend

This weekend we went to Portland for Dan Robinson's birthday party. We also made our first trip to Babies R Us (talk about overwhelming) and got to hang out with our friends. I also officially started "nesting". I honestly haven't felt the urge to get ready for the baby yet, but for some reason yesterday (President's Day is a day off for me) it happened. I just really NEEDED to wash all those baby clothes and pack his little diaper bag for the hospital.

By the way, if you are thinking about buying Elias something, he doesn't need any more newborn clothes. We have that covered. You can see the two baskets full of mostly newborn clothes and blankets. Thanks to everyone who has been donating thier hand me downs!

Another sad thing that happened is that one of our dogs is missing. Our other dog, Dexter, has been moping around for four days, missing his friend. He literally lays by our back door all day and whines when we come out. We don't know what happened to our dog. We've even checked at the pound. We are hoping he is off with some lady friend, but we think he might be gone for good.



Elias likes listening to music. I noticed that when Paul plays the guitar he kicks, and when we went to our old church in Portland, Mosaic, this weekend, he was kicking when the music is playing. So here we are introducing him to 5 O Clock People. He likes it. Either that or he is kicking for us to stop, who knows.





I also started reading this book, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, I really don't like the title, but so far it's good and it makes sense to me. I've also read Babywise. Please leave a comment with a recommendation if you know of any other good ones.

"Might I inquire as to how you came about these?

Persuasion.

Friendly?

Decidedly not."

-Pirates of the Carribean


overstimulated children...sweat...sugar...and wheels...

Yes, today we had our annual reward party at the roller skating rink. In my list of thing I should be exempt from due to my large tummy: tying ten pair of roller skates and ten pair of shoes, also tracking down said shoes (they sometimes sprout legs and run away), also riding in a school bus full of sweaty, sugared up children for 45 minutes, also keeping track of the finances of ten 5 year olds at a gift shop.

I am iron woman. I have recently been exposed to both whooping cough and strep throat (along with all the other run of the mill illnesses that fester in an elementary school) and am still completely healthy. Of course the minute one says something like that is the very minute the illness gods start working against them.

The good thing about today is that it's Friday. After school I went to the gym, came home and made tacos, and now Paul and I are watching Pirates of the Carribean. It's a three day weekend. Life is good.

Included in the phrases I seem to repeat over and over again these days:

April 17th. (my due date)

A boy. (boy or girl)

I feel great. (people don't really want to know if you feel bad)

Elias Paul. (do you have a name picked out?)

Walk please.

Quiet voices please.

Excuse me, what is your job right now? (get back on track, kid)

I also get the bewildered, "you're still working out?" question. If I were to be completely truthful with you, working out makes me feel so much better, that I have a hard time NOT working out. It loosens up those achy joints, gives me more energy, stretches me out, all the good things it's supposed to do.

Another question I am getting asked quite a bit is whether or not I am coming back to work after the baby, usually from parents who have younger children and were looking forward to having me as thier child's teacher. It makes me feel really good that they want me to stay. BUT - when I say that I'd like to be a full time mom for a while, working mom's always feel the need to explain to me why they HAD to go back to work. I think there is a little guilt involved here, because I am a teacher and I am supposed to know what's best for kids, and I am making a decision for my child that is different from the one they made for thiers. I am not happy about the guilt, but what can you do?

Have a great weekend. We've got some great things planned. Babies'r'us is in the picture. Seeing friends and family too.

I'd like to leave you with another quote from Pirates of the Carribean (as you can tell I am barely watching it).

"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by."

Captian Jack Sparrow

Pregnancy Update


"Life is hard enough without having someone kick you from the inside."

-Rita Rudner

"Watch out, guys!! She's pregnant!"

-Kindergartener

Hi. I'm still here. Last week I had my 30 week appointment (I'm 31 weeks now, 9 weeks left!!!). It seems like my due date is so close, but also so far away. Everything was fine at my appointment. My Dr. said that hopefully at the next appt. we will be able to tell what position the baby is in. I feel like we are really unprepared as far as what we actually have for the baby. But we keep reminding ourselves that a baby doesn't really need much. I am taking childbirth classes this month, which has been very interesting. I feel like I have joined a secret society of women who know how to breathe (he he who). How is this actually going to help me? I'm not sure.
I got an MP3 player for Christmas. I don't really fully know how to use it yet but I DO know how to put a podcast on it, and one of my favorites is the pregtastic podcast. The name is pretty corny but I am enjoying listening to it. I am also enjoying sermons from Andy Stanley, NPR's driveway moments, and of course This American Life.
Elias is still moving quite a bit and we absolutely can't wait to meet him. What a blessing. I still can't believe that we are actually having a baby.
Paul is looking for a job, since he graduates in March. We may have to move for a job, which I am actually a little excited about. I am praying that he will find a job that he really likes.
Have a great day!

Head over to Suzanne's Second Estate for a more complete description of the last post. You can actually see the picture on her blog. Ah, the tech-savy Suzanne. She's such a good writer too. She makes me feel like I am in Missouri (though I wouldn't want to go back without Kelsey and Suzanne! :)

A very long drive to Misery?

Once upon a time three girls set out on an adventure to a land of fireflies and Bible stories. They were Kelsey, Annie and Suzanne. Kelsey sent me this picture and it brought back great memories of being single, mobile and adventurous. We attended the Children's Ministry Institute in Missouri one summer break. I remember getting the best haircut of my life (in Missouri, who knew?) and case of chiggars (if you don't know what they are, don't ask). It was a fantastic experience.

What am I doing right now?

I am listening to a basketball game between Unalakleet and Nome on KICY radio. I love the internet. Basketball is HUGE in Alaska. Nights are very long and days are very short. Unalakleet is the village I spent the better part of two weeks in this summer. I never thought my heart would ache for a small village in Alaska. But I want to be there.

Of warthogs and red...

they continue to make me laugh every day, and cry sometimes too, but we'll try not to focus on that. According to one, tomorrow is warthog day (groundhog day, for all of you who aren't kindergarten teachers). According to another, my baby's name is "The Lias" (interesting take on Elias). And they've always refered to hand sanitizer as "the hanitizer". We have some fruity smelly markers in our room. "This one smells like an orange to me." Another said, "This one smells like a red."
It's quite an adventure.

"Hey, look, a bean."

he said to me as he opened up a biology book from college. He was researching our changing baby boy. A bean fell out of the book. We smiled at each other, knowing.

"Five years."

"Yep, five years."

The significance of the bean is this: five and a half years ago, when Paul and I were married, beans were the main player in a practical joke Paul's family pulled on us while we were on our honeymoon. When we got home to our 400 square foot, tiny but so cute apartment, we found beans everywhere. Beans in bowls, shoes, pockets, books, under the bed, on top of window ledges, behind furniture, everywhere. We didn't find some of the beans until be moved out of that apartment two years later. Every time we move, we find more beans. Five years later and awaiting the birth of our first child, we're still finding beans.

All I have to say is, "Good one, Robinson family, someday we will get you back."

Warning: Post about pregnancy, may be too much info for some men.

I love being pregnant. There, I said it, you can hate me if you want to. I have very few of the horrible symptoms that women usually complain about. I do not crave strange things. I am not constantly throwing up. I have different symptoms. During the first half of my pregnancy I had a constantly stuffy nose. I cannot sit for a long time because of tailbone pain. This is only a problem on Sunday. I am thinking about taking a donut pillow to church to sit on. I don't have to shave my legs very often (yes, my leg hair has actually slowed it's growth - this has been one of my favorite parts of being pregnant). But this is the symptom I want to talk about now - dry skin. I have never had such bad dry skin in my life. For a while I was lathering Vaseline on my hands at night and putting socks over them and sleeping that way the whole night - and the hands were still dry. This has a lot to do with being a kindergarten teacher because I wash my hands so much at work, but I've never really had a problem before. So I have a new solution. Even if you don't have dry hands (but who really doesn't at this time of year) it's still really good for your skin.

1. Keep a heavy duty moisturizer by your sink (my favorites are Eucerin, Aquaphor, or Burt's Bee's Banana Hand Cream).
2. Lather up with moisturizer before doing the dishes. Put a lot on. It will soak in because of the heat of the water.
3. Put rubber gloves on (I've never been one for the rubber gloves but my hands were so dry that it hurt to put them in the water).
4. Wash the dishes. The heat from the water will help the lotion do it's job.
5. Do not let husband use the same rubber gloves to do the dishes, because he will complain that his hands smell like bananas.

There you go. Beauty tips from me! It literally takes 30 seconds. Really, if the worst I am symptoms I am experiencing right now are minor back pain and dry skin, I have MUCH to be thankful for. I am actually finding that the more active I am, the better I feel. Usually my tailbone pain goes away if I go to the gym and use the eliptical machine.
I really should go to bed now because we have decided to get up early to attend the early service tomorrow. I have had a hankerin' for some hymns!

What is Annie reading?

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
So cute! I read this to a group of 1st through 8th graders the other day and they ALL loved it. A Dad tells his son the secret to getting rid of enemies is to make enemy pie!










The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

I am only a few chapter into this book but it has me hooked.











The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger

I got this for Christmas from my mom. I haven't had a whole lot of time to bake bread yet but I did make the Pear Coffee Cake today and it was delish. There are TONS of recipes in this book. It would take me 20 years to try them all.

Friday Favorites: Patch Maternity

Ok. I've had a change of heart. Gone are the days when I thought I could make it through my entire pregnancy without actually buying maternity clothes. You may remember a semi-angry rant about 3 months ago. I hate Motherhood Maternity because of thier return policy (thier policy is pretty much - no returns - although I do have a pair of black slacks from there that I love). My favorite store by far for maternity is Pumpkin Patch. Now, it's actually a children's clothing store, but if you look in the back you will find racks of maternity clothes. And the best thing is thier return policy - satisfaction garunteed. I actually have had a wardrobe malfunction with a pair of thier jeans, so I'll take them back next weekend. I really don't mind paying a little more for something if I know I can return it if at any time I am not IN LOVE with it.

You might not hear from me for a while - it's report card time. If you do hear from me - I'm procrastinating.

Did you know that:

INHABITS POULTRY MOON

and

THUMBNAIL RIOT SNOOPY

are anagrams of my husband's name?

check out: http://wordsmith.org/anagram/advanced.html

Seven months down.

Three more to go.

Yeah, that's right, ten months. They don't tell you that before you get pregnant. Well, actually nine and a half. But they start counting before you actually concieve. This is crazy to me.

Yes, they say the funniest things...

I have a new girl in my class. Here is a bit of funnyness from her.

HER: "I'm turning six in July. I'll invite you to my birthday party, if you're still alive."

ME: "Why wouldn't I be alive?"

HER: "Well, it's a long ways away. You might even be sixteen by then."

I am always delighted to have one of those uninhibited children in my class. You know, the ones who get up in the middle of my teaching just to visit the turtle. They make things funny. Speaking of turtles, when I got to school this morning I could smell turtle stink from down the hallway. I knew immediately that the filter had stopped working over the weekend. I had gotten to work half an hour early to get some work done, but I ended up spending that time cleaning out a stinky turtle aquarium instead. Oh, here's another one.

Upon seeing the apple symbol on the computer in the library, kindergartener says to the librarian:

"Oh, I see you got your computer from Applebee's"

Getting ready on Saturday morning:

"What do you want to do today?"

"Let's go for a drive."

In the car:

"Which way should we go?"

"South."

We ended up at Mount St. Helens. While it's packed in the summer, it's virtually deserted in the winter. We had a great time.

Baby Elias - 27 weeks

"This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely."

-from Babycenter

That's right, I'm almost 7 months along! I was telling someone the other day how fast this pregnancy has gone by. It seems like just a week ago I was just finding out. 91 days until my due date.

Today was ANOTHER day off from school. Snow was forcasted and it sure snowed! It was supposed to turn to rain and melt but it never did and we ended up missing school. I feel really behind, January is half over and we've only been in school five days. I did enjoy staying home though. Paul stayed home from work also. We took a nap and went for a walk and watched Oprah. The picture is of me today - with all the snow. We got about three inches on top of what we had left over from last week.

"How's my beauty and the bump?"

-Paul Robinson (he said it to me of course)

Friday Favorites: Date Night!

Last night Paul and I went out and ended up going to Plenty restaurant in Olympia. I have a thing about fish and chips, an obsession. I ordered their fish and chips and they are absolutely my top pick for fish and chips around here. Melt in you mouth...move over Spuds. Everything was very fresh. I highly recommend it. It's a little hippy, but that's just the way we like it. Just hippy enough to be really tasty. Paul had the "artful salad". He really enjoyed that as well, right before he finished off what was left of my fish.

I feel old and out of date...

I remember when I paid 10 dollars a month for 10 hours of dial up internet. This was in Portland in the heart of the Hawthorne hippy neighborhood. Paul's brother just informed us that our old stomping grounds now has free wireless internet.

Snow! Paul took this yesterday. I just love the snow. We have been two hours late for two days.

As promised! Here is the Kermit costume. I was disappointed to find out that it doesn't fit me, and not just because I'm prego. It was made for a shorter person. Ah well, there's still much fun to be had with it. It even comes witha green leotard to wear undernead so that arms and legs are green too. And webbed feet. It really was uncomfortable to wear even for the 30 seconds that I had it on. Hope this picture is as much a blessing to you as it is to me!!!

Some days are just blessed. Today someone gave me an adult sized Kermit the Frog costume. You are probably asking yourself, "What did Annie do to deserve this?" I don't know people, like I said, I was blessed today. I know I will use it for something, but just what that would be has not taken shape. It's very realistic and well sewn. Complete with green tights and webbed feet. I feel big things are going to happen for me and this costume...big things.

That's all for now.

Check out my friend Kara's blog Karapy. After a year's hiatus, she's back with a vengence.

Little boys, little boys, EVERYWHERE!

My sister in law and brother are having a little boy, bringing the total to three boys, zero girls! We're feelin' the testasterone. I am very excited that Elias will have a boy cousin so close in age. Something tells me they may be double trouble, if I know anything about Tupper boys.

My Hero!

One of my gifts for Christmas was "Andy Griffith: The Complete Final Season". I just love Andy Griffith and it took me less than a week to consume all thirty plus episodes. One character that is missing is Barney. I didn't realize that Barney wasn't in every season and at first I admit I was a little disappointed. After watching a few episodes I was realizing that I like the fact that Barney is missing because it allowed them to focus on other characters like Opie, Aunt Bea, Howard and Goober.

I have a bid on "Monk: the fourth season" on ebay right now. There are very few shows that I would actually consider owning a whole season of. You see, if I own it I have watch it more than once or twice. I don't think Paul owns a single DVD or video, unless you count our wedding video, but that's more like joint ownership, so it doesn't count.

Do you know how much I love Good Earth Tea? It reminds me of Multnomah. As you may know from previous posts I have been on a Chai Tea ritual for a couple of months (morning rituals are important to me). I think it may be time to make the switch. I can't get enough of the stuff. Is this a craving?....I'm not sure.

Our friend Mark recently started his own blog Growing Together. Check it out! His blog is on wordpress, which I am actually thinking of switching to. Mark was roomates and friends with Paul at Multnomah .

Why am I thinking of switching? Well, Paul has requested that I not post pictures of our children on the blog. And I am obviously going to honor that because he is the head of our household and the protector of our family. Wordpress has the option of password protecting posts. In other words, my blog would be public, but when I want to post something personal such as information or pictures of my kids, I can password protect just that one entry. By the way, Paul loves the fact that I blog, and this has not been a source of contention at all, just an area that I feel I need to be obedient in. So if I decide to go this route, you'll have our password, that is, if you actually know us.